Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Shares Up 10.2% on Strong Earnings

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU) was up 10.2% on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $178.87 and last traded at $181.0220. 41,783 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 247,725 shares. The stock had previously closed at $164.32.

The industrial products company reported $5.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.66 by $2.87. The company had revenue of $1.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.12 billion. Kaiser Aluminum had a return on equity of 17.00% and a net margin of 4.14%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 52.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.21 earnings per share.

Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Kaiser Aluminum’s dividend payout ratio is 33.55%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KALU has been the topic of several research reports. Zacks Research downgraded Kaiser Aluminum from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $142.00 price target (up from $124.00) on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a report on Thursday, April 30th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on Kaiser Aluminum from $170.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $158.00 price target on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kaiser Aluminum currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $165.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kaiser Aluminum news, Director Richard P. Grimley sold 1,524 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.52, for a total value of $261,396.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $785,218.56. The trade was a 24.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Brett Wilcox sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.44, for a total transaction of $2,616,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 9,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,724,688.28. This trade represents a 60.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 71,731 shares of company stock worth $12,529,097 over the last quarter. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $10,659,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Kaiser Aluminum by 25.5% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 897 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $175,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $64,000. Pacific Excel Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kaiser Aluminum in the 2nd quarter valued at $207,000. Finally, PVG Asset Management Corp grew its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 331.9% in the first quarter. PVG Asset Management Corp now owns 8,374 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,009,000 after acquiring an additional 6,435 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Kaiser Aluminum Trading Up 10.1%

The business’s 50 day moving average price is $176.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $150.31. The company has a current ratio of 2.47, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The company has a market capitalization of $2.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.72 and a beta of 1.59.

About Kaiser Aluminum

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation is a U.S.-based producer of semi‐fabricated aluminum products, serving a diverse range of industrial and specialty markets. The company’s offerings include extruded, rolled, and forged aluminum products designed to meet stringent performance requirements in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, defense, electronics, and general engineering. By focusing on high‐value applications, Kaiser Aluminum aims to deliver lightweight, durable solutions that contribute to efficiency and innovation across its customer base.

Operationally, Kaiser Aluminum maintains a network of smelters, extrusion plants, and rolling mills located primarily in North America.